Being teachable sometimes may mean learning from those with whom we have differences. Such is the case with an article I read yesterday after I saw it being referenced on Twitter. The more of the article I read, the more convinced I was that there is a monumental lesson within it that each of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ should learn. What is the lesson?
“They will know that we are Christians by our love.”
Although this article pertains to the issue of homosexuality, in truth, the ‘they will know that we are Christians by our love’ principle can be applied to a myriad of issues facing the church of Jesus Christ in 2013……divorce, abortion, homelessness, unmarried couples living together, victims of human trafficking and much more. The lesson that is beautifully displayed in this article is that by truly caring about people with whom we have differences, we can earn the right to share Jesus with them. Please notice I did not say we have to lay aside our deeply held beliefs. Jesus never compromised on what He knew to be true, yet He met people and loved them right where they were. You and I can do the very same thing….IF WE JUST WILL.
Hostility toward those with whom we differ will almost never convince a person that Jesus loves them. Why should it? Why should they believe that Jesus loves them if they don’t see those who claim to follow Jesus loving and respecting them? It really is a no-brainer, yet by and large, the church has had a big FAIL in this area. Now is the time, friends, to learn to reach out in love to those with whom we disagree. In this article, we see the results of Dan Cathey, CEO of Chick-Fil A, doing just that. I encourage you to click on the link and read the entire article. You likely won’t agree with everything in the article…neither did I. However, there is a lesson and Christ followers need to be teachable. After you read the article, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-l-windmeyer/dan-cathy-chick-fil-a_b_2564379.html
